“A kind of rat bigger than a cat,” Yi Shuihan replied. “It lives on the grasslands north of Beian City and has two very large incisors.”

Xiao Qingyin blurted out, "Isn't that a marmot?"

Yi Shuihan was a little surprised: "You've seen him before?"

"I've seen it."

Xiao Qingyin sighed deeply.

If there are marmots here, and people who hunt marmots and trade their pelts, then it's not surprising that the plague broke out.

When it comes to spreading germs, even bats have to admit defeat to marmots.

The Black Death, caused by Yersinia pestis carried by marmots, swept across the European continent, claiming the lives of more than 30 million people.

It has always been a fearsome entity.

Has Daehee ever experienced a similar epidemic?

Xiao Qingyin asked about the coldness of the Yi River.

Yi Shuihan shook his head: "No, it has never appeared."

Xiao Qingyin fell into deep thought.

If it had never appeared before, no one would know its source, and therefore it could not have been spread artificially.

But how did the other party manage to lure her here before the epidemic even occurred?

Are there people in this world who can predict the future?

There are no superpowers here. If someone can predict the future, there is only one possibility: someone has been reborn.

And this reborn person is her enemy.

She went through all the mortal enemies she had provoked in her mind and quickly pinpointed one person.

Xiao Qingrong.

Xiao Qingrong was not a particularly scheming person, although she was very good at using others to do her dirty work.

She was on the verge of death, but was suddenly taken into the Third Prince's household and promoted to the rank of concubine.

How can someone who is not particularly good-looking, has limited intelligence, and is full of personality flaws win the heart of the Third Prince?

—Provide value that others cannot provide.

If Xiao Qingrong were reborn, she could provide such value very well.

This also fully explains why the Third Prince was able to respond quickly after the earthquake in the western suburbs; and why he broke his leg and did not participate in the autumn hunt.

Because the Third Prince foresaw the future from Xiao Qingrong.

This time, it's likely that Xiao Qingrong knew about the plague outbreak in Beian City, which is why she set a trap for her.

Finding Sezhu and manipulating the abbot of Lingyun Temple would require a lot of manpower and resources; it couldn't possibly be done by Xiao Qingrong alone.

The Third Prince was definitely involved, and was very likely the mastermind.

Having figured this out, Xiao Qingyin felt a little more at ease.

If they can control the spread of the disease, they can still break the deadlock and leave this place.

“Let’s go to the county government office,” she said to Yi Shuihan. “The magistrate might need some help.”

"good."

The two then headed towards the county government office.

The journey was fraught with difficulties.

After news of the city gates being closed spread, panic spread among the people.

The streets were filled with people carrying bundles, trying to escape.

But the city gates were closed; where could they escape to?

Some people tried to climb over the wall to get out, but they were shot to death by a hail of arrows as soon as they crossed the wall.

The troops guarding the city outside had clearly received orders to "kill anyone who flees the city."

The two struggled through the chaotic crowd, taking nearly half an hour to reach the entrance of the county government office.

The government office was locked, and the area in front of it was crowded with protesting citizens.

Yi Shuihan used his lightness skill to send Xiao Qingyin into the wall.

Magistrate Xu was pacing anxiously in the main hall when he heard a bailiff announce, "Sir, someone wants to see you." He waved his hand impatiently.

"I will not see anyone now. Tell them all to go back."

As soon as the words were spoken, a clear voice rang out: "It would be best if you, sir, met us."

Magistrate Xu was taken aback.

Suddenly he turned around.

Suddenly, a pair of exceptionally beautiful people, a man and a woman, appeared in the hall and were looking at him calmly.

"You are..."

Yi Shuihan and Xiao Qingyin gave their names.

Magistrate Xu was stunned.

These two names are household names.

He didn't have time to think about why these two giant Buddhas were here; only one thought occupied his mind: Beian City is saved!

"General Yi, Miss Xiao, please have a seat. Someone, bring tea!"

Magistrate Xu immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"No need to be so polite."

Xiao Qingyin replied.

"Time is running out, let's get down to business. We're here to lend you a hand and help the people of Beian City."

Magistrate Xu was so moved he almost cried.

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

After learning about the situation from him, Xiao Qingyin offered suggestions for treatment.

"First, separate patients from healthy people, set up special treatment centers, and arrange patients according to the severity of their illness."

"Secondly, all doctors in the county were recruited, all medicinal materials were requisitioned, and medical resources were allocated in a unified manner."

"Third, it is strictly forbidden to hunt and kill snow pigs for consumption or to skin and sell them. All snow pig products must be confiscated and burned."

"Fourth, every household should use fumigation to kill fleas, and items used by patients should be burned or disinfected at high temperatures."

"fifth……"

Xiao Qingyin listed more than a dozen points, and Magistrate Xu had the registrar write them down for each one.

"Finally," Xiao Qingyin said solemnly, "from now on, all the remains of the dead in the city shall be cremated. Coffins shall not be left unattended, bodies shall not be thrown away, and bodies shall not be buried."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the brush in the registrar's hand snapped with a "crack".

Magistrate Xu looked stunned.

After realizing what he meant, he shook his head violently: "No, absolutely not. People should be buried in the ground after they die. How can they be burned? The people will never agree to this."

“If we don’t burn it, the germs on the corpse will spread and infect others, and the entire city of Bei’an will be destroyed.”

Xiao Qingyin said calmly.

"Is tradition more important, or is life more important?"

Magistrate Xu shook his head again.

“The gentry and the nobility would not agree; they value tradition more than their own lives.”

He couldn't afford the consequences of doing so.

Even if doing this solves the epidemic, once the epidemic is over, people will think it's incredibly cruel, and he will definitely become the target of public criticism.

Not only will they lose their official positions, but they will also be remembered with infamy in history.

It wasn't that he cherished his official position so much, but rather that he had studied diligently for so many years to pass the imperial examination and become the head of a county. He hadn't even had a chance to repay his fellow villagers, so how could he let them down like this?

The registrar chimed in, "Yes, sir, you're right. Those gentry and nobles would rather die of illness than agree to have their bodies cremated."

"This is not only about the life and death of the people of Beian City, but also about the life and death of the people of the entire Da Xi and the entire continent."

Xiao Qingyin said expressionlessly.

"All traditions should give way to saving lives."

Magistrate Xu sighed.

"You're right, but our yamen doesn't even have as many servants as some wealthy families. What if they insist on resisting?"

Yi Shuihan replied, "I will request His Majesty to issue an imperial edict supporting the cremation of corpses to quell the people's discontent."